Today the William Watson Hotel has been restored and renovated by Jonas and Jane Ann Petty.

It was renamed the Parkway Hotel in 1938. At that time no one would have guessed the great-grandson of the housekeeper there would become the future owner. After falling into disrepair for decades, Jonas and Jane Ann Petty purchased it in 2006 with the intentions of bringing the old hotel back to its former glory. It took about two years of work and along the way it became a labor of love. uring reconstruction the Petty's took care to preserve the historic feel of the hotel...the brick and the ceiling tiles are all original to the structure.

The William Watson Hotel, named for the original owner, opened to the public just weeks ago, with 14 rooms and suites with kitchenettes. Every room is different, which adds to the character of the one-of-a-kind hotel experience. Many of the rooms come with a one of a kind view of Pike County's Historic courthouse. Petty said, "We've had a great response from the community. We've got reservations from people passing through on business, hunting, people just coming in for a nice nights stay."

Article by Melissa Shriver - January 08, 2009 (Her website is gone now)

A description of the Public Square and the short streets immediately around it, in the early days, should prove interesting. Nearly all the old buildings have been pulled down or removed, and the few landmarks that still remain must soon meet the same fate. On the north side of the Square there were but four buildings. A grocery or saloon occupied the corner where Shadel's meat market now stands; next west was Thomas Dickson's small frame store which long occupied the place of the present two-story brick edifice, and is still standing in the rear of its old site; next was the Courthouse, now Joseph Heck's store, and next a one-story frame, which was afterward enlarged, and is now occupied by Field's jewelry store. In the lower portion of the lot, where the Pittsfield House now stands, was the house of Michael McGuire. The first store on the west side was that of Green & Barber, the building now occupied by Clayton's hardware store; next was the store of Jacob Hodgen, who afterward built the first brick store in town; and next, near the south corner, the harness shop of Hamilton Wills. On the south side was the log store of Jonas Clark, which stood where Seeley, Lloyd & Co.'s big store now stands; then the store of Talcott & Co., and then the Mansion House, which was then but two stories high and having about half its present frontage. East of this was Mrs. Mary M. Heath's house. (This venerable lady, who is said to have been the first white child born in Cincinnati, O., is still living in the town, and is looked upon and respected as one of the few living links connecting the present with the past generation.) East of Mrs. Heath's was Frank Spencer's blacksmith shop. On the east side of the Square, and occupying the site of Winans & Platner's furniture store, was the residence of Miss Bush, and north of that J.U. Grimshaw's store. The Square it self was an unfenced playground, ornamented with a dense growth of hazelbrush.